


A Breath In The Dark

by Night_Hawk94 (orphan_account)



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), bughead - Fandom
Genre: Also leaving it with unknown chapters for the same reason, F/M, First Kiss, Halloween Theme, I suck at tension but I tried, Meet-Cute, Shy Betty Cooper, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones, Strangers to Lovers, a little bathroom love, kind of, rating might change if you request a part 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:47:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27527125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Night_Hawk94
Summary: It’s Halloween and Betty Cooper finds herself in a situation she never expected.
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 19
Kudos: 98





	A Breath In The Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Well my Halloween fic is finally here ... Sorry it’s a little and I hope you all enjoy it!! Xx

Jughead shifted his weight from one foot to the other and leaned back against the wall behind him, heaving out a heavy sigh. 

It was the 31st of October. Halloween night. Also known as the one night of the year where going out in some capacity was unavoidable. 

Thanks to Toni, this year he’d been roped into going to a party on the Northside of Riverdale; specifically Cheryl Blossom’s annual “Chills and Thrills” bash, even if the most “chilling” and “thrilling” thing about it was the food and drinks. 

For a family who liked to show off their wealth. Flash it in peoples faces and rub it in, it wasn’t that spectacular. Still he guessed it was a better place to wind up than at a crappy party on the Southside again. 

Taking a sip of his beer, he scanned the crowed and dimly lit room, recognising most of the people he went to school with. Not exactly his preferred company, but luckily they knew it was in their best interests to keep their distance. 

He kept watching, laughing quietly to himself when he saw Fangs strike out with some girl he had been trying and clearly failing to talk too all evening. 

That’s when he saw her. 

Betty Cooper. 

_Sweet ... innocent, Betty Cooper._

His lips immediately curled into a intrigued smirk. 

She was alone, standing off to the side near a massive table overloaded, in typical Blossom fashion, with a variety of snacks and beverages. 

_What was she doing anyway?_

Betty turned then, a look of panic skewed across her face as she took in her surroundings, like she was making sure no one had seen her before she hurried away. 

_Except someone had seen her, hadn’t they?_

Jughead cocked his head to the side, amused. Curious. 

It wasn’t the first time she’d piqued his interest. _Oh no_. He’d seen her in the hallways at school. In class. At Pops and, like now, she’d never failed to capture his attention or to hold it. 

She fascinated him, more so than girls normally did. He wasn’t a prude or anything, just someone who wasn’t typically controlled by his urges ... until she’d come along of course. 

He wasn’t sure why though and for some reason that bugged him more than it probably should’ve. 

A wave of heat crept up his back and neck, spreading throughout his body, making his muscles tense and harden. His insides humming with desire and intent. 

Draining the last of his beer, he crushed the solo cup in his hand and threw it aside, making his way through the mass of party-goers. 

No more hiding in the shadows, he decided, no more observing her from afar. 

Tonight he would discover exactly what it was. 

  
  


~~~

  
  


“This can’t be happening!” 

Betty hurried down the deserted hallway, one of many inside her cousin, Cheryl Blossom’s, impressive home, affectionately called Thornhill. 

_Come on ... Where the heck was it?_

She came to stop when she reached an open door, peering inside long enough to see if it was the room she was looking for. 

Instead she spied one of her best friends; Kevin talking to none other than Trevor Brown. 

_So that’s where he ran off too._

She watched the pair for a quick moment, smiling brightly when she saw Trevor place a hand on Kevin’s arm and noticed the obvious blush that stained her friend’s cheeks as a result. 

A split second later, Kevin caught her eye and he grinned as well- his face filled with delight. 

“Finally”, Betty mouthed at him, encouraging him to carry on talking to his long time crush, before she whipped away again. 

When she finally spotted the bathroom at the end of the corridor, she exhaled a breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding in and immediately ducked inside, shutting the door behind her. 

Of all the times for her to have a wardrobe malfunction it had to be at a party and it had to be in front of the entire student body no less. 

Still gripping the back of her costume in her one hand she flicked on the light and turned to look in the mirror, trying to survey the damage, her eyes closing with annoyance when she saw that the zip on the back of her outfit had separated. 

“Of course it has.” She groaned softly, pressing her lips together in a hard line. 

_Ugh ... What the heck was she supposed to do now?_

Biting down on lower lip, Betty pulled out her phone, debating whether she should call Veronica or not. The last time she’d seen her other best friend, she’d been straddling Sweet Pea’s lap with her tongue halfway down his throat. 

Still ... she didn’t exactly have a lot of options, did she? 

There was also Kevin she supposed, but he’d been working up the nerve to talk to Trev for months now ... she didn’t want to ruin this big moment for him. 

Trapped with indecision, she tried to think of her next move, when all of a sudden the light above her head went out, flooding the bathroom in total darkness. 

Silence settled around her and Betty froze at once, hearing her phone clutter to the floor when it slipped out of her hand. She strained her ears, her heart jolting in her chest until she heard muffled screams nearby, followed by laughter and sounds of people running. 

She breathed out a relieved giggle, any fear she’d felt slowly dissipating. 

Of course - it was Halloween. No doubt someone had hijacked Cheryl’s party to play a scary, but harmless prank on everyone. 

She reached down then, feeling around for her phone when an unexpected noise materialised, halting her movements. 

The soft, but unmistakable sound of someone opening the bathroom door and the soft click of it closing again. 

Betty stood up straight, suddenly alert. “Hello?”

A deafening silence followed, making her swallow thickly. She swore she could feel a pair of eyes watching her. 

Was it Kevin ... or Trevor maybe?

It had to be ... they were the only ones who were up here aside from her. 

_Right?_

“Is someone there?” She tried again. 

Still nothing. 

Stretching her hands out, Betty felt around nervously, searching for any sign of the other person she was sure was in the room with her. 

“Come on Kev, is … is that you?” She asked, letting out an anxious laugh. 

She took the next wave of silence as a “no”. 

“Look ... just tell me who you are, please!” Betty demanded, her voice clear, but still coated with discomfort. 

“A friend.” Finally came a response. 

The voice was smooth. Warm. Measured. The sound sending a shiver down her spine, but not out of fear. She didn’t recognise it though. For one she definitely knew it wasn’t Kevin. 

“A friend,” Betty repeated cautiously, “Do I know you?” 

“No, but you’ve ... seen me before.” The faceless voice replied in a way that sounded like he was almost amused. 

She frowned. 

_What the heck was that supposed to mean?_

Betty heard some kind of movement behind her and she held her breath, waiting for whatever would happen next. She looked in the direction she remembered the door being, wondering if she could make it. 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” He suddenly promised like he’d just read her mind or something. 

She scoffed under her breath. That doesn’t mean anything. Isn’t that what people always say before they hurt someone? 

“Do you need help with something?” 

“Oh, um ...,” Betty reached back instinctively, touching the broken zipper again, “No, I’m fine -“ 

A hand touched her and she nearly jumped out of her skin with fright. 

“Relax baby,” He breathed softly, sounding a lot closer to her now, “Let me help.” 

Her lungs deflated. 

_Wait … Baby … did he really just say that?_

She opened her mouth, ready to protest, her mind racing with so many questions, but he started fiddling in the dark, his nimble fingers already working on the zipper before she could voice any of them. 

_Wait, how did he -_

“How did you know about my zipper.” She asked him instead, furrowing her brow. 

“I saw you out there at the party. I like your costume, by the way.”

The tips of his fingers brushed down the side of her body, the light, yet unanticipated touch making her gasp softly, like a jolt of electricity had just coursed through her. She cleared her throat, forcing the feeling away. 

“Were you following me?” 

He let out a quiet chuckle at the question or maybe at the quiver in her voice, his hot breath hitting the back of her neck. 

“Maybe.” 

Betty glanced over her shoulder and even though she couldn’t see his face, she could picture the smirk that was most likely on his lips. 

“All done.” He murmured a short moment later. She felt a tug then heard the unmistakable sound of a working zip. 

He’d fixed it.

A small smile played on her lips, despite the strangeness of the situation, and Betty turned around slowly, facing him. 

“Thanks.” 

Stillness washed over her - _over them_ \- again and for a moment, as she stared into the inky darkness, she wondered if he was really there. Perhaps she had just imagined him. Then she heard him breathing. Felt the heat coming off his body. She worked her throat, wetting it when it suddenly went dry. 

_How far away was he?_

Steeling herself, Betty gingerly lifted her hands again, a part of her expecting to find nothing, but air in front of her. Instead her palms landed on a hard chest little more than a foot away. She paused, drawing in a shaky breath as she smoothed her hands over the t-shirt he wore, only stopping when she reached his jacket. 

She pinched the material, rubbing it between her fingers. It felt soft, but worn. Like leather. 

_Who did she know who wore leather?_

She should be scared right now. Shaking. Begging him to leave now that he had helped her. He could be anyone after all, but that feeling of terror never came. Only curiosity. 

“What did you come as?” Betty asked. 

“A zombie,” The stranger replied easily, “Nothing nearly as impressive as your witch costume though.” 

Her cheeks flooded with warmth. She kinda loved the sound of his voice. Calm. Strong yet soothing. Like velvet. It made being paid a compliment by him that much better. 

“Thank you. I uh ... always go a little overboard with Halloween, I guess. Most people don’t. All they really care about is how hot or good they look.” 

“True,” He agreed, “You want to know what I think?” 

She nodded, forcing herself to swallow again, “Yes?” 

Something moved in front of her and his fingers grazed her cheek as he tucked a loose strand of hair back into place. Then he leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear when he spoke again. 

“I,” He whispered, “Think you are beautiful, Betty.” 

_Oh my god._

Closing her eyes, Betty leaned back against the counter behind her, his voice, like honey in her ears, making her feel as though her knees would buckle at any moment. Her head was spinning, his scent. Earthy. Clean. Inviting. Surrounding her without mercy. 

When he started to pull away, she tightened her grip on the lapels of his jacket, trying to stop him. “Wait -“ 

She barely got another word out before someone grabbed the door handle and gave it a harsh jerk, completely startling her. A scream built in the base of her throat, but before it could escape the stranger clamped his hand over her mouth, pressing the weight of his body against hers to keep her calm. 

“Someone’s already in here!” He growled out, his tone low and filled with warning. 

Not even a second later a guy on the other side of the door yelled “gotcha!” and the scream that followed quickly turned into laughter as two people (most likely a girl and her boyfriend) ran off somewhere else. 

Betty’s heart was still thumping, but she didn’t feel like she was in any danger. In fact she felt the exact opposite. 

He slowly released her then, their faces so close she could feel his hot breath fan against her lips. 

_So close ... so incredibly close._

Her whole body warmed and she held her breath with anticipation. 

She’s not sure who moved first. Her. Him. But suddenly his mouth was on hers, kissing her fiercely. Like he’d been waiting his whole life to do this. He nibbled on her lips and cradled her face in his hands, his soft growl making her toes curl when he dived back in, taking more. 

She whimpered into his mouth desperately, her insides twisting like a cyclone as she clutched him, trying to return the fervor of his actions. He reached down, his hand finding her hip and he squeezed possessively, his hot breath acting like a drug as he moved, rolling his groin into her. 

Betty moaned when she felt how hard he was through his jeans, her teeth sinking into her lip when her clit throbbed. She clenched her thighs together, her panties already soaked through. Her whole body aching for more. 

_Jesus!_

They parted after another minute and he rested his forehead against hers, both of them overwhelmed and out of breath. 

Betty opened her eyes, gazing up to where she knew his face was. 

“Tell me who you are.” She pleaded quietly. 

Instead of answering her though, the stranger pressed his mouth to hers again, this time slowly. Taking the opportunity to mold their lips together properly. Like he wanted to savour it. 

“You already know.” He murmured. 

And then he was gone, the bathroom door opening and closing again before she even knew what was happening. 

“Wait!” Betty stuck out her arms, moving them through the now empty space in front of her. 

_No!_

Without warning the lights flickered back on and she squinted, disappointment swelling inside her when her eyes managed to adjust and she found that she was alone. 

She hurried over to the door and opened it quickly, looking down the hallway, but it was empty as well. 

He was nowhere in sight. 

  
  


~~~ 

“Kev, I really don’t know what else you expect me to tell you.” Betty grumbled as she yanked her locker open the following Monday at school. 

_Believe me, if I could tell you something else I would._

But he already knew everything.

After the lights had come back on at Cheryl’s party, Kevin had found her pretty quickly and after meeting up with Veronica, she’d spent the next two hours sitting in a booth at Pops telling both of them exactly what had happened. 

Naturally, neither of her friends had stopped talking about it since then. 

“I know, I know ... I’m sorry,” Kevin apologised, “I just ... I can’t stop thinking about it.” 

Betty pulled out her english book with a heavy sigh. 

She couldn’t stop thinking about it either. She was completely fascinated. More than she’d ever been with anything else. She wanted answers just as much as him. 

Even more so. 

“Are you sure you have no idea who he was?” Kevin asked yet again, “Think real hard, B.” 

“No,” Betty shook her head despondently, “I wish I did.” 

She saw Kevin stiffen beside her, but she ignored him, slamming her locker shut instead. Then she sensed it - a presence standing right behind her. Goosebumps rippling over her skin when she felt his breath on her neck. 

“You already do.” A familiar voice said damn close to her ear. 

Her heart shot up into her throat and she immediately forgot how to breathe. 

_Oh my god .... It was him._

She turned, her heart lurching and going into overdrive when her eyes landed on the last person she ever expected to see. 

Jughead Jones - Leader of the Southside Serpents. 

Betty tightened her hold on the strap of her bag, pressing into the lockers behind her, stunned beyond words. 

His dark blue eyes held hers and the sexiest smirk she had ever seen curled on his mouth as he placed his hand next to her head and leaned in, drawing even closer. 

“Surprise.” He whispered.

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading - feel free to leave a like or comment!! :)


End file.
